Granby Obituary: Gertrud Newhall, 102

Gertrud Newhall has died of complications following a stroke. She passed on Monday, 14th of August, 2017, at Hartford Hospital where she was under the care of the Palliative and Hospice Teams.

Born in Berlin, Germany to Luise and Heinrich Schlereth, Gertrud Rose Erna was the youngest of five siblings. She emigrated to the US in 1936, settling in New York City where she began her training as a nurse. She specialized in the nursing of children and worked in that capacity at both St. Vincent's and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals in Manhattan before and during WW II. It was at this time that she met a neighbor of hers in Greenwich Village, Lawrence Johnson Newhall, who was studying to become an educator.

Following his decorated war service Gertrud and Larry traveled to Greece, where they were married and served for two years at the American School in Athens. Returning with Larry to the States in the late 40's, Gertrud served in a variety of posts at the Grier, Perkiomen and the Westtown Schools and at Hartford's Watkinson School where her husband was Headmaster from 1956 until 1969.

She joined the staff of West Hartford's Hughes Convalescent Hospital where she served for over 25 years as the recreational therapist. Both the Larrabee Fund Association and the Loaves & Fishes Ministry in Hartford were social action projects to which she was devoted.

Gertrud is survived by her son, Lawrence Johnson Newhall, Jr, her daughter-in-law, Nadja, and their six children, Cheston, Carolin, Ashley, Brooke, Gerrit and Gerwin, and by her daughter, Anne Schlereth Newhall.

A gathering in celebration and remembrance will take place this Friday, August 18, at 10am, at the Hayes-Huling & Carmon Funeral Home, 364 Salmon Brook Street, in Granby. Burial will be private.

The Newhall family would like to express their abiding gratitude to the Palliative and Hospice teams, the Neurological team, the ICU, Dr Melissa Ferraro-Borgida, the Chaplains and all of the CB2 staff at Hartford Hospital. And to Jean and Michael Keating at Granby Pharmacy, Michele Twigg and Jaime at Starling in Granby, and to Donna, Georgia and Rachel who cared for Gertrud with such devotion.

In lieu of flowers the family would be grateful for donations to Loaves and Fishes Ministry, 646 Prospect Ave, Hartford, CT 06105 or to the Alzheimer's Association (earmarked 'Research'), CT Chapter, 200 Executive Blvd, Suite 4B, Southington, CT 06489.